Kithood
by Binario
Summary: All of them young. All of them naïve. All of them different.
1. First

Well, hello there. This is one of those crazy plot bunnies that just couldn't leave me alone. Lets see where this takes us, shall we?

-Cheetahstar

_**Word: First**_

* * *

"She's so small!"

A high-pitched voice squealed, dissipating the darkness inside her mind. She was so very tired and that voice just made her ears ache. There was a vague feeling of missing something important, something so crucial it could dictate her whole life and-

Wait a heartbeat. _Who_ was she anyway?

Struggling against the fog that was slowly covering her thoughts, she tried to move her body. She was conscious enough to know she had a body and she could feel something soft under her belly and paws. Paws! She had paws! She tried moving them but she could only get them to twitch. Frustrated, she felt her throat contract and a sound came out of it. It was not piercing like the unknown voice, but rather low and rippling. It echoed up in her ears and made her jaws vibrate. Her instincts called it a growl.

An unexpected paw nudged her flank harshly, followed by a low, deeper growl than hers and a surprised sound. A gasp, her instincts provided once again. The she-kit yowled her discontent at the noises and prods, instantly feeling someone moving against her. She-kit? Oh, that was what she was! A cat!

"Come on Tigerblaze! Just let me play with them!," the high-pitched voice begged. She decided she didn't like that voice very much. The voice nudged a lot.

"Not until they are big enough," a second voice appeared. This one was not high-pitched but rather soft and soothing. It promised warmth and protection, and her instincts labeled it "mother". "Mother" was also called "Tigerblaze", apparently. What was a "Tigerblaze" anyway? _A name_, her instincts pipped in. So, having a name was natural? Everyone had names? What was her name, then?

"But that will be in forever!," the high-pitched voice whined. "There are no other kits in the nursery!"

There was something soft and moving over her. "You must be a little bit more patient, then. And stop prodding Smokekit!"

Smokekit? That was her! The she-kit decided she liked her new name.

Smokekit rolled to her side, lost in thought. What were the voices talking about? Due to their conversation, she assumed they were currently at the nursery...whatever that was.

"Please Tigerblaze! The sun is up and the apprentices are not here! I have no one to play with."

The she-kit shifted her attention back to the conversation. Apprentices? Sun? Those were some interesting words. When the negative response from Tigerblaze came again, Smokekit felt another nudge. "Come on kit, open your eyes and play with me!"

Smokekit squealed and pawed at the attacker but none of her blows connected with anything. She was fascinated at her paws actually moving, but she was more concerned in fending off the high-pitched voice. A growl was heard from somewhere to her right, but the prodding continued. Greatly annoyed by this, Smokekit blinked open her eyes. The harsh light made her shut her eyes close again but, apparently, it satisfied the attacker, for there were no more nudges.

"Come on", Tigerblaze purred. "Open your eyes again."

The she-kit sniffed, covering her eyes with her paws. That hurt! She though that the world was always dark and warm, and the sudden brightness was disconcerting. Tigerblaze continued to say soothing words, trying to coax her paws away. The bright world was unusual and painful but...

Curiosity took over, her eyelids fluttering open before she was ware of what she was doing. The light burned her eyes but as the heartbeats passed, the pain faded to a dull ache and disappeared. And the, there was color. Bright greens, dark browns, flashes of grey fur... It all danced before her. She looked around, finding a pair of green eyes looking back at her. The cat was dark grey with spotted markings, and she was smiling with pride. She assumed this was Tigerblaze. The bigger cat (Smokekit had never imagined a cat could be that big) bended over and passed a rough tongue over her forehead. "You got some beautiful eyes."

Smokekit cringed at the contact but said nothing to voice her displeasure. Her instincts suddenly roared at her to stand up and she obeyed without thinking it. They had helped until now, hadn't they?

Her small legs trembled under the new weight and she almost face planted as she searched for her balance. Her dark grey paws were difficult to command, and she took a few hesitant and wobbly steps. Tigerblaze purred and motioned to a pair of bundles of fur. "This here are Snowkit and Robinkit, your littermates." Smokekit gave them a quick glance but decided that they were not important at the moment. After all, they seemed to be still asleep.

"Now can I play with her? Please?", Smokekit turned around stiffly, recognizing that voice. The movement was too sudden for her, and she fell on her flank with her paws flailing. A dark golden she-cat stood by her, her icy blue eyes pleading. Tigerblaze huffed, grabbing Smokekit by the scruff -much to her protests- and placing her near the sleeping kits. "When she is older."

"But-"

"No buts Firekit."


	2. Play

_**Word: Play**_

* * *

_The graceful grey cat looked around restlessly, eyes darting to every single crevice. The moonlight bathed the cat in silver, the illusion broken by the black-as-night spots adorning its pelt. The wind howled a symphony across the valley, creating a powerful current that ruffled the feline's fur and blew up whirlwinds of dust. Long, curved claws slid until they scrapped the ground. Where are you?_

_A figure seemed to silently materialize from the cliff's walls. It dropped from its perch to the ground like a hunting bird of prey, confidence radiating from its bright green eyes. The newest feline snarled, white fangs gleaming in the twilight. The first cat answered the challenge with a snarl of its own and pounced, landing expertly on its enemy's shoulders. The green-eyed feline rolled, paws swiping at the attacker. They were now locked together in deadly dance, each swirling to avoid a blow while delivering a swipe of their own. To any onlooker, it would seem as if two snaked of silver light were sliding together. The fighters stared at each other as they continued with their __choreography, blue fire equalled by a green storm._

_A third figure entered the match before the dancers could react. Sandy-brown and dark grey rolled on the ground for several heartbeats before separating, pelts bristling in outrage. The third feline held an air of power, muscles buckling under its pelt. The powerful cat smirked, unsheathing its claws and ramming the smaller opponent._

"Robinkit! You come in later!"

The sandy-brown kit stopped his struggle to pin down his brother, who stuck out his tongue. Robinkit shot an outraged look at Snowkit at the offense. Smokekit marched up to her siblings, tail lashing in frustration. "We already talked about this! You were the one to give me an edge after I tackled Snowkit, not when he pounced on me!"

"But I was doing nothing!," Robinkit complained, getting off Snowkit. The oldest brother sighed in relief, stretching out his legs. Smokekit swatted his sandy-brown brother over the ears. "But you were going to win the fight at the end!"

"I know how you can all play at the same time," a warm, smooth voice reached them. The three littermates turned their heads to see Tigerblaze entering the nursery. The now open thorn entrance allowed the moonlight to wash over them, covering everything in silvery hues. With quick steps, the small cats bounced up to their mother, high-pitched voices mixing in a cacophony of mewls. The black-spotted queen purred in amusement, hushing all of her kits with a flick of her tail. "As soon as the sun rises, I will take you outside."

Before any comment could be made -both complains or agreement- Tigerblaze guided them to their nest. A nearby queen, a ginger she-cat with amber eyes, stirred, awaken by the noise. Upon realizing the source, she gave out a chuckle that attracted Tigerblaze's attention.

"I'm terrible sorry Flaredash," the dark grey she-cat meowed as her kits climbed on the nest. Her fellow queen just shook her head. "I understand. All kits are so full of energy," she whispered, flicking her tail over a black and ginger patched kit resting by her belly. "Some more than other."

Smokekit, ignoring the conversation of the queens, nuzzled her brothers, twisting her body so she could find a comfortable spot between her siblings. Robinkit huffed a protest, but she knew that he was just faking the action. The smoky-grey kit looked at the nursery's entrance, narrowing her eyes in an effort of catching anything that could be outside. Curiosity whirled inside her and she vaguely considered going out that heartbeat just so she could tell her brothers what was there. When Snowkit decided to nuzzle closer and Smokekit realized that it was better to wait for them to wake up. After all, who was going to play with her if they weren't around? And if she went out without them she would never hear the end of it.

The last conscious thoughts she had were full of mystery and excitement. What would she discover out there? Who would she find? She had heard something of the Camp from Tigerblaze, but she had always dreamt of seeing it by herself. It all was summarized in a single word, one so full of emotions and intrigue that had every single kit trembling in preparation: EchoClan.


	3. Sneeze

Thank you Mossfeather for your kind words, favorite and follow! I'm glad that I'm developing the personalities well :D.

Thanks Freaky! And yeah, your neighbors can make a lot of noise.

_**Word: Sneeze**_

* * *

The saddened gazes of Robinkit and Snowkit made Smokekit feel even worse than she felt already. Their Camp-exploring adventure had been cut short after that insignificant (and by StarClan, it really was insignificant! But did her mother listen? Of course not) sneeze. Tigerblaze had immediately grabbed her by the scruff and carried her to the strong-smelling den they were currently in. As usual, she tuned out of the conversation of the adults (Who was that ginger tom, anyway?) and reassumed glancing at her brothers in embarrassment. Robinkit just smiled reassuringly at her before snapping his attention to the nearing tom. Now that Smokekit saw him closer, she felt the need to curl up in a shadowy corner of the den. It was not that he looked dangerous, but something about him made the she-cat nervous. With surprising gentleness, he prodded her flanks and chest, earning a squeak from her and another sneeze. Sighing, the ginger tom turned to Tigerblaze. "It would be best if she stayed in the Nursery for a couple of suns. We might be at Greenleaf, but we don't want that developing into Whitecought."

The three siblings glanced at each other in shock. She was going to stay inside for suns? Surely Tigerblaze wouldn't do that, right?

Missing the final exchange between the adults, Smokekit shouted in alarm when her mother grabbed her by the scruff again. She huffed in indignation when she realized what was happening, but she stopped squirming.

"For suns?," Snowkit asked the question that had dread swirling in their hearts. Tigerblaze merely nodded, letting Smokekit walk as they approached the Nursery. Decided not to ruin the fun for her brothers, the she-cat trotted up to the Nursery but stopped her brothers from entering. "Continue exploring, I will wait for you here," she meowed. Her brothers started to protest, as they wanted them all together to see the Camp, but she slipped inside the Nursery. There was a moment of silence before the sound of pawsteps fading away reached her ears. Satisfied with herself, Smokekit glanced around, noticing for the first time that there was a ginger-patched tom that watched her curiously from his nest. Upon being discovered, the kit padded up to her, his whiskers twitching. "You are Smokekit, right?"

The she-cat tilted her head curiously. "Yes, who are you?"

Ignoring her question, the tom looked back to his nest. "Flaredash told me that you were one of the other kits in the Nursery. She also mentioned Firekit, but she is too obnoxious to make friends with. There will be more kits here, though. After all, Flaredash said that Emberpath's kits would arrive soon."

Smokekit twitched her ear, unimpressed by the tom's strange attitude. She lived with Robinkit, after all. "Now that I know the names of everyone else, will you tell me your name?"

"Oh, sure," the kit said, snapping back to reality. "I'm Dustkit."


	4. See

"I see something...green."

"Moss."

There was no hesitation in that answer. Well, Smokekit would give him a real challenge then.

"Correct. Well, now I see something...white."

"Emberpath's stripes."

Oh, for the love of-

"..."

"Am I correct?"

"Yes, you are. Now, I see something amber."

"Flaredash's eyes."

"How do you know it's her eyes and not yours? They are the same color."

"Because of the fact that you were looking at her and not me."

Impossible! Dustkit must be cheating somehow!

"Alright, genius. I see something prey."

"Prey? How is it possible to use it as a description for- ACK!"

"Gotcha!"


	5. Explore

Thank you Mossfeather for your review! And they were Dustkit and Smokekit talking.

_**Word: Explore**_

* * *

"And what's that?"

"That's the Warrior's Den!," Snowkit meowed, his paws shuffling with excitement. "We can't go in there, but Tigerblaze said that's were we are all going to be one day!"

Smokekit gasped in amazement. Everything was so enormous! The cliffs that bordered the Camp, the cave-dens, the colors...

"Come on." The more composed, mature mew of Robinkit snapped her back to reality. The black-spotted tom signaled with his tail to follow him. Not wanting to miss whatever was it that Robinkit wanted to show them, she trotted up to him. Her sibling squeezed past a patrol that arrived to the Camp, earning a few warning shouts. The tom hesitated for a second, but quickly reassumed his walk.

Snowkit ran to catch up with them. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see!" Their brother replied, a glint of excitement in his green eyes. They started following a zigzagging path that led up the cliff. Smokekit noticed that a rock jutted out of the cliff's face at the end of the path. As they got closer, she realized that it was another cave with a bramble barrier.

"What's this?" She asked, pawing at the entrance. She could smell something inside, but it was nothing familiar. Robinkit padded up to her until he was pressed against her side. "I found it the other sun, but I wanted to wait until you got out of the Nursery so we could all explore it together."

Snowkit brushed past them, flicking his tail. "Then what are we waiting for! Lets look inside!"


	6. Mouse

**_Thanks for all of the reviews! I must say that I feel overjoyed when any of you comment!_**

**_Waffle the Badger: Rainy! Long time not see :3_**

**_Mossfeather of ThunderClan: And we have a winner! Guessed correctly! And I noticed the confusion with Greenleaf. I rewrote it already. _**

**Word: Mouse**

* * *

The yellow eyes locked on her. Those predatory, cold eyes. They radiated power and danger like the eyes of a hawk. A hawk that had seen a mouse. She knew this was a bad idea, but she just had to follow her brother.

Snowkit gasped, pressing closer to her as Robinkit was doing. Her younger siblings trembled, their confidence lost. Smokekit glared up to those cold orbs that dared to scare her brothers, challenging them to come any closer.


	7. Leader

**_I was wondering. Would you like the Allegiances posted?_**

**Word: Leader**

* * *

"It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you." The yellow-eyed creature moved to the sunlight, revealing herself to be a large black she-cat. She smiled in amusement at the kid's confusion.

The only she-kit recovered first, glancing at her warily. "Why should we trust you? We don't know you."

The black cat sat down again, still smiling. "Because I don't harm any kind of kit, specially ones from my own Clan. My name is Ravenstar, just for you to know."

The sandy-brown kit's eyes widened in surprise. "You're the Clan leader?"

The other two kits (siblings, she guessed by the resemblance) gasped in surprise, looking up to her in wonder. Ravenstar purred, flicking her tail over their ears. "Yes, I'm leader of EchoClan. This den that you happened to stumble upon is mine, and I have to say that kits don't usually manage to get up here."

The she-kit ducked her head in embarrassment and her brothers mimicked her. "We are really sorry to have disturbed you. We will return outside."

"There's no need for that," Ravenstar meowed. "You can stay if you want."

"Really?," gasped the dark grey tom with the white chin. He bounced up to her, pressing his tiny paws to her bigger ones. "We can really stay?"

Ravenstar's whiskers twitched in amusement at the young tom's enthusiasm. "You are not bothering me, so there's no problem with you staying here."

"We will tell Tigerblaze when we return! She won't believe it!," the sandy-brown kit exclaimed to his sister, who nodded calmly. So this were Tigerblaze's kits! Ravenstar has to admit it, they all looked like the spotted queen. But there were also many characteristics taken from the kit's father, she noted with fondness.

"You know what I like the most?," the large feline whispered secretively. "Stories."

And the excited high-pitched meows of the kit mixed with the amused purr of the leader.


	8. Silverpelt

"So, what are we doing here?"

"It's a surprise," Dustkit replied, tucking his paws underneath his body. They were currently at the top of the cliff (something that Smokekit wasn't sure how they pulled off) as the sun disappeared in the horizon. It was quite windy and she was sure that she would start sneezing again, so it really didn't help that Dustkit was feeling ominous at that moment. She pressed against him when she started feeling way too cold for her liking.

"Can you give me a clue?"

"If you were like the other kits, maybe. But if I gave you a clue, you would know what I'm planning to show you."

"Fine."

So they settled to wait for whatever it was. Smokekit glanced down the cliff, trying to name as many clanmates as she could recognize. "That's Ravenstar padding to her den with the deputy, Hailstrike, talking to her. There's Owlpaw talking to... Greenpaw? No, that's not Greenpaw. Wolfpaw, maybe? I think that's Brambleshade, but it's too far away to know for sure. And who's over there? Some ginger tom that looks familiar-"

"Look Smokkit!"

The she-kit whirled around, following her friend's gaze to the sky. Smokekit froze, looking in awe. Millions of lights marked the black sky with silvery glows. There where many of different sizes, but all equally beautiful.

"Is that...?"

"Yes, that's Silverpelt."

Under the starry sky, both of them realized that the cold wasn't that much of a problem anymore.


	9. Fluff

The moon shone bright on the sky as Snowkit tackled Robinkit, bitting his brother's ear. The oldest of the litter growled, truly annoyed at Snowkit's repetitive conduct. He knew, of course, that it was just a way of showing affection, but the grey-furred idiot was starting to irritate him. As he threw his brother off him, a sudden movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention. Now, he was not curious by nature. No matter what Smokekit said, he was not a curious cat at all. What did she know, anyway? She was as crazy as the other she-cats he knew.

...well, maybe not as crazy. Analyzing that line of thought, Robinkit concluded that no, his sister was not crazy (at least not much). But still, the other she-cats did suffer from mental illness. If not then why did Firekit had those strange mood swings? The she-kit had always been a demanding brat with strange moods. One moment she was all happy-cheer-cheer with Smokekit and the next one she was spitting venom at that strange tom, Dustkit, Now, he did not particularly like Dustkit, but as Smokekit had taken a liking towards Flaredash's son, he figured that the tom was not that bad. At least he could tune out of his long, boring comments about trivial things. Who cared about the length in fox-lengths of the Camp? Or the amount of prey consumed in proportion of the number of EchoClan members? Certainly not Robinkit. Or Snowkit for the matter. It really surprised him that Smokekit could not only understand it but also add things to the ramblings of that cat. Well, if his sister was happy then he was happy.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?," a deep, rumbling voice cut Robinkit's musings. He did not squeak at the interruption, not at all. Squeaking was for little kits, after all. What he did was to make a mental note not to let his thoughts run free when he saw a suspicious shape at the edge of his vision. A suspicious, green-eyed shape that belonged to a muscular warrior.

"Sorry?," Snowkit tried, not really sure how to act around this stranger. Robinkit narrowed his eyes at this tom. Sandy-brown fur, white chin, bright blue eyes... Now, hold on a heartbeat...

The warrior tilted his head in wonder, the exact movement that Robinkit had seen one to many times on his only female sibling. "Well, I would expect that my kits would obey their mother and remain inside while she is talking to Redstrike."

Everything finally clicked to Robinkit as he bounded up to his father, squealing. "Hawkstreak!"

Heartbeats later, Snowkit leaped at their father, mewling in happiness. The adult tom laughed, letting himself be bowled over by his kits. Two pairs of green eyes gazed down at his blue ones as they scrambled to bite at his paws in a playful manner.

"I give in, I give in," Hawkstreak said, but he remanded sprawled on the ground. Robinkit smiled, overjoyed that he could share a moment like this with both his brother and his father.

"Robinkit! Snowkit! You two come back here at this heartbeat or I-"

"Well, hello Tigerblaze," Hawkstreak redirected his attention towards his spotted mate as she walked out of the Nursery, Smokekit trotting by her tail. The she-kit smiled at her father and dashed up to him too, batting his ears with her paws. Tigerblaze, for her side, was not amused at all.

"I'm trying to make them fall asleep, Hawkstreak," the blue-eyed queen growled slightly. The tom just smiled cheekily at her, knowing that the irritation was just faked. "Aw, come on. I'm usually so busy that I can't check up on the kits this suns."

The queen just gave her mate a blank look.

Sighing, Hawkstreak rolled to his paws (much to the tom-kits complains) and shook off the dust accumulated on his pelt. "Fine, fine. Have it your way. Kits, it's time to go to your nest."

The brothers were about to complain but a look from Tigerblaze and a huff from Smokekit had them heading for their nest. The she-kit followed them after her mother reassured her that she would be joining them shortly. Robinkit curled up next to Snowkit, feeling the familiar warmth of Smokekit joining them after a few heartbeats. Nuzzling closer to his siblings, Robinkit concluded once more that Smokekit and Snowkit weren't so bad after all. Not that he was ever telling them because, well, he had a reputation to maintain.


	10. Ancient

_**Thank you all for your lovely reviews! You all inspire me to keep writing the story.**_

* * *

Round amber eyes. Eyes surrounded by white-speckled fur that had been once cream-colored. Perfectly triangular ears and a symmetrical face. Long, silky pelt that shone with each movement. Long claws, now broken and dirty. "_He must have been handsome once,"_ Smokekit thought. _"And a great warrior. But he now looks... ancient."_

"Really?," Robinkit's meow made her focus on the story again. Cloudchaser huffed, annoyed after they had interrupted his nap. Lionroar ignored his denmate and continued with the story. "Yes, and after that, RaggedClan declared war on us. Many generations passed and traditions were lost, as well as many clanmates. Good cats lost their lives in the struggle to defend their Clan."

"And to think that it could all had been solved that night...," Snowkit whispered in a serious tone. Vineclaw prodded him with a paw, earning a squeal of delight from her brother. "You shouldn't be talking about this themes," the elder meowed. "Go outside and play."

Smokekit growled as Robinkit pounced on her, and the two of them went rolling out of the Elder's Den with Snowkit yowling behind them. None of the three kits noticed the harsh glare that Vineclaw shot Lionroar.


	11. Gruff

"That's chamomile! You can't place chamomile with the yarrow!"

"What's chamomile?"

Redstrike shot her such a harsh glare that Smokekit fought not to tremble in fear. The medicine cat was not an imposing figure, being skinny and all, but he had an aura of severity and coldness that made him feared by all the Clan. Or at least respected.

The ginger tom snarled as he snatched the chamomile from the pile to place it on another pile. "You are here for your punishment, so put an effort on it!"

Smokekit grumbled, rolling some stray poppy seeds towards a corner. It wasn't even her fault that the thorns had ended up in Foxstripe's nest! But of course, being the good sister that she was, she had accepted part of the blame so her brother's punishment wouldn't be so severe. She wondered if she could convince Robinkit to swap punishments...

"Stop daydreaming! Grab the catmint and help me organize that pile!," the gruff voice of the Medicine Cat snarled. Smokekit hurried to do as told.


	12. Eyes

Eyes can tell you everything. From the smallest flicker to the flashes of emotion. The bravest cat can be betrayed by the fear in their eyes. Eyes tell the story of each individual and they show the emotional state of everyone. There are several different colors and shapes, but it will always be the same.

Eyes are everything.

And that's how Smokekit knew that Redstrike wasn't serious about bitting her tail off and feeding it to the badgers. The tom needed to control the glint in his eyes.


	13. Enemy

"Smokekit! Smokekit, wake up!"

The frantic cries and harsh prods dragged the she-kit out of her peaceful dreams. The first thing she saw was the urgent look that flashed across Snowkit's green eyes. The normally cheerful tom was hyperventilating, his fur all bristled in panic. His ears were flattened against his skull and his tail lashing like a furious adder. A wave of fierce protectiveness surged trough Smokekit as she leaped to her paws, her eyes looking for Robinkit. She found him standing a mouse-length away, crouching between the moss as if it could hide him from the world. He was trembling, that she could see, and his eyes flashed in blind panic. Rushing to his side with Snowkit behind her, the kit pressed against him, hoping that a familiar presence would be enough to calm him.

"What's happening?," gone was any trace of tiredness as she addressed her younger sibling. Snowkit's eyes darkened, signaling with his head to the entrance of the Nursery. "Tigerblaze woke me up when she left the nest. I don't know what's happening but there's a lot of noise out there. It seems all the Camp is awake."

Smokekit yowled in surprise when a golden queen grabbed her by the scruff. She trashed and turned in Foxstripe's grip, refusing to be taken away until everything was explained to them. The queen placed her on the nest at the very back of the Nursery where a pair of icy blue eyes followed her movements.

"What's happening? I demand to know!," Firekit growled, not being used to not knowing something. Her mother ignored her in favor of returning to pick up Robinkit, as Snowkit was being carried by Emberpath towards the same nest. Firekit snarled, walking around the nest like a trapped badger. Smokekit wanted to calm her down, but knew that any try would end up enraging the pale ginger she-cat even more. When Dustkit was finally in the nest with them, the entrance rustled violently. A pure white cat dashed in, panting in exhaustion. Foxstripe nodded towards the tom, crouching near the entrance but refusing to say a word.

Finally breaking the silence, Robinkit padded timidly towards Emberpath. He was still trembling, though his eyes weren't panicked anymore. "Emberpath, what's happening? Why did Tigerblaze go?"

The pale-grey queen ushered him back to the nest, her eyes troubled. "We are being invaded. RaggedClan is attacking us."

Smokekit felt her heartbeat increase as her littermates gasped in horror. Firekit felt quiet for the first time in suns, her temper momentarily controlled. She angled her ears towards the entrance, desperate to hear any signs of the battle ragging outside.

The entrance rattled violently. Instinctively, Smokekit flattened herself against the ground to make herself smaller, protected, uninteresting. Her heartbeat pounded and her breath hitched.

Emberpath hovered over them, her tail lashing as she bristled in outrage. Smokekit dared to look over the border of the moss nest. A massive, brown and ginger tom snarled at the white tom that had come earlier, baring yellowed fangs. The EchoClan tom snarled in return and bowled him over, shredding his belly with his claws. The invader screeched, swiping his hooked claws over the other tom's face. The slashes blinded the defender momentarily, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Hailwhisker, fall back!," Foxstripe growled as she took his place, pushing the invader against the Nursery's entrance. The enemy tom snarled but, as Emberpath joined the hissing queen, he pushed his way through the entrance, leaving tufts of his fur hanging from the thorns. The queens were quick to follow.

Silence fell over the den immediately. Hailwhisker padded up to their nest, curling protectively around it in the case that another enemy crashed in. He started cleaning the slashes over his eyes with his paw as the kits uncurled from their hiding spots. Smokekit bounded up to the white tom, blue eyes shining with concern. "Are you hurt badly?"

Hailwhisker stopped licking clean his now bloodied paw, resting his green gaze on the smoky-grey she-kit. "The slashes are deep but it's nothing that Redstrike can't heal."

"I wouldn't let those scratches stop me from attacking an intruder," Firekit snorted with disdain. Dustkit's amber eyes went wide as he flinched visibly. "You should be more respectful."

"Really? Well, it's not like he's Clan leader anyway! I will behave as I see fit."

Dustkit narrowed his eyes reproachfully, cuffing the older she-kit over the ears. "Not Clan leader, Clan deputy."

"Deputy?," now was Firekit's turn to flinch and look scared. She stared wide-eyed at the imposing tom in front of her, squeaking in fear and hiding behind Snowkit, who huffed in annoyance.

Robinkit trotted up to Smokekit, burrowing his nose in her fur. She casted a concerned glance towards her two brothers before focusing her attention back to Hailwhisker. "Will he come back? The brown tom, I mean."

The deputy licked her forehead reassuringly. "He won't pass those thorns, I promise."


	14. Screech

"But Tigerblaze!"

"You can't go inside, Robinkit."

"But I left my favorite mossball inside!"

"You will get in Redstrike's way and he won't be amused."

Smokekit sighed as she heard her brother squeal another protest. Even if she hated to admit it, her currently annoying brother was right. It was terribly unentertaining to stay outside of the Nursery doing nothing. She didn't actually understand why Emberpath couldn't go to the Medicine Cat's Den if she was sick. She remembered Snowkit doing that last time he got a bellyache. She wondered if it was because Emberpath was a queen.

A pelt brushed against her and she didn't need to twist around to see the newcomer, as the familiar scent drifted towards her. She flicked an ear in acknowledgement and continued her staring contest with the Nursery's entrance. "Bored as well, Dustkit?"

The black-pelted tom shrugged, sitting down next to her. "Flaredash was playing with me until Ripplewave suggested to take a walk. She didn't want to leave me at first, but I knew she needed to relax so I saw you here and told her I would be spending the sun with Tigerblaze's kits."

"You can hardly blame her," Smokekit reminded him on a motherly tone. "Tigerblaze is acting the same way with me. I think it has something to do with all those missing cats after the battle."

"Where do you think they went? Pebblepaw is a dedicated medicine cat apprentice; it's not like her to suddenly disappear."

Smokekit glanced around, nodding in satisfaction when she noticed that no-one was eavesdropping their conversation. "I hear that Greenpaw and Whitewhisper are not around anymore. Do you believe that RaggedClan took them away?" Dustkit's eyes lost focus as they usually did when he thought hard on something. "No, Ravenstar would have ordered a rescue party. Wherever they are, I hope-"

A particularly loud screech came from the Nursery, making both kits flinch. Two gazes fell on the thorn barrier of the entrance, curiosity emanating from them. Smokekit was the first one to react.

"I just hope that Emberpath is well. She sounds horribly sick."

"She's not sick," an amused purr came from somewhere behind them. A slender yellow and white she-cat laid basking by the Apprentice's den. She was surrounded by a group of two younger cats. "But you can wait with us until Redstrike lets you return to your nests."

The smoky she-kit eagerly rolled to her paws while the tom shyly pressed against her, trying to hide his bigger body. The apprentice smiled at the kits, gesturing towards herself with her tail. "My name is Yellowpaw, apprentice of Mothflight."

"I'm Smokekit. My friend is Dustkit. He's a little shy but he means no disrespect."

Dustkit avoided all glances.

Yellowpaw nodded knowingly. She nudged one of her companions, a slender grey she-cat with icy blue eyes. "This is Frozenpaw, apprentice of Ravenstar. Don't take it to heart if she spits her cold logic in your faces, that's just her way to say hello."

Frozenpaw glared at Yellowpaw, her eyes like chips of ice. The bigger apprentice seemed unfazed by such cold stare. The last one of the group, a pale brown and white tom, smiled at the kits warmly. "I'm Wolfpaw, apprentice of Snowflare. Pleased to meet you."

To Dustkit's dismay, Smokekit sat down on a vacant spot to join the small group. Weighing his options, the black kit sighed and sat down next to her, glaring at the ground. The smoky she-kit nudged her friend, who snorted but refused to meet her eyes.

Sensing the uneasiness of the black kit, Wolfpaw suddenly jumped to his paws. The other apprentices send him questioning glances but he shrugged them off. "I have an idea!"

"StarClan save us all," Frozenpaw muttered.

"What about we teach you some fighting moves? That way you can show them off to the other kits," he meowed, shuffling his paws in enthusiasm.

Yellowpaw titled her head. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"We would be grateful for that," Dustkit answered, shyness left behind.

All four cats smiled at the kit.


	15. Reflection

They watch each other in the stillness of the moment. She knows what to look for. Weakness and flaws are clear to her eyes as the waters in the Moonstream Clearing. She hunts them down like vermin, hoping to improve what could be.

No-one is perfect.

Of course she's not perfect. In fact, she may never achieve the grace and perfection that slowly rolls off the Leader. She's not as confident and strong. But that doesn't mean she can't try to achieve the closest thing to perfection.

Fiery, stubborn, sharp-tongued, impatient. Many words, some vacant, some true. She saw the truth in the other eyes; she saw the story that she didn't know. They all can read her just by looking at her eyes. All of them but the young.

She stares and stares but only sees the icy gleam of a pair of blue eyes. Fire roars behind the spheres, consuming everything in its path. The thick smoke rises from the burnt battlefield, a blanket of darkness that leaves death on its wake. Two dots arise, icy blue so much like hers. Thus are not fearful or naïve or weak. This are confident, graceful and feral.

A monster of twilight.

The icy blue eyes belong to a dark-as-smoke cat. A cat that forms from the thick smokescreen. The shadow cat of terror. His twisted smile is nothing but the laugh of a badger, his mouth an endless dark pit. His pawsteps leave a trail of blood behind that flows and flows to become a river. He howls to the moon like a canine.

The river flows and flows and now she's gagging. The metallic taste of blood comes to her tongue. She screams for help but her Clan won't come. They are all watching, judging, pleased. The shadow cat rest his muzzle on her small forehead.

"Firekit! Come play with us!"

And then as soon as he came, he's gone. She's free and the innocent kit comes back. Foxstripe is to blame for him, after all. It was never Firekit's fault.


	16. Hello

"They are tiny."

"You all were once like that."

"Really? I doubt it."

"Hush now, they are sleeping."

"But Tigerblaze-"

"Silence, Robinkit."

Warm yellow eyes flicked open. Blurred shapes lined the edge of her vision, colors mixing in a pool of confusion. Where did the voices come from? Last time she opened her eyes, Emberpath and the fur bundle that was her kin were the only ones in the Nursery. Eyes narrowed in concentration, she barely managed to recognize the cats moving outside her range of vision. Maybe they were not important...

The entrance rustled as a new stranger slipped in. This one was bigger than her (not that the others weren't). Blue eyes paused a heartbeat before the stranger padded up to her. The scent of fresh moss and something wild and earthy washed over her, making her heart flutter with joy. It was a scent that nudged her instincts awake, singing at her with tales of endless running and victorious battles and silent huntings. She scent of the outside, so overwhelming for a young kit.

"Hello," the cat whispered carefully, as if tending to a delicate flower. "What's your name?"

A name? Now, what a curious word! She had heard Emberpath saying it twice by now, but she didn't realize everyone knew it. What was a name, anyway? She knew that the bundle of fur had one. What was it, again? Sharpkit? Well, she had one too, right?

She blinked, staring up to the stranger in wonder. "I'm Adderkit."

The bigger she-cat smiled. "I'm Smokekit, daughter of Tigerblaze."

What a fascinating name. Was it for her pelt? She really did look like a cat made out of smoke, though the black spotted markings broke the illusion. She held herself with a confidence Adderkit hadn't seen in anyone...not that she had meet _anyone_ else other than her kin. Thinking about it, she really should talk to the other strangers (clanmates, she corrected herself) if she wanted to know more of the place she currently lived in. It could prove useful in the future.

"Would it be fine if I showed Adderkit around?"

The question startled the kit out of her pondering. She turned to her mother in time to see her nodding gratefully, posture relaxed but eyes evidently tired. Adderkit vaguely wondered if it was the effect of taking care of her unresponsive brother.

Smokekit nudged her lightly, beckoning the kit to follow her lead. Curious as to what lay outside the Nursery, Adderkit stumbled behind the older kit as quickly as she could. The blue-eyed she-cat slipped past the thorn entrance and she paused, suddenly afraid. Did she really need to pass that thing? It looked like it could scratch off her eyes. What if her fur got _tangled_ in it? She would never get out!

But, thinking about it, Smokekit has gotten through. It didn't seem like she had gotten tangled or scratched, and she certainly didn't cry out in pain. Maybe if she was careful enough...

Adderkit took a deep breath before slipping inside, twisting to find a path that didn't threaten her with sharp thorns. She lost a little bit of fur from her tail, but otherwise made it through without scratches. With a little bit of practice, Adderkit was certain she would be able to pull it off perfectly. Well, she would if she could stop gawking at the scenery below. The nursery, she realized, was build in a relatively low slope on the cliff's wall, the only path to the clearing bellow a ragged-looking, zigzagging route lined up with loose pebbles. She craned her neck upwards, discovering several other paths. Several other _higher_ paths that lead to equally _higher_ dens. Cats walked up and down like it didn't bother them at all. Shuddering, she glanced downwards again, watching the Camp bursting with life. Now, there's where a cat's paws belonged! Safe and secure on ground!

Smokekit was waiting patiently, understanding Adderkit's wonder. She too glanced down at Camp to watch the activity. "Impressive, isn't it? Would you like to go down?"

At Adderkit's shy nod, Smokekit took the lead and walked down the track, kicking off some pebbles to amuse herself. As always, the stones bounced off harmlessly, as no cat ever stayed near the cliff's walls to avoid any accidents. Adderkit followed always by her tail, fearing getting lost in the crowd.

Smokekit first took her near a large, jet-black she-cat who was basking in the warm sunlight. She was a graceful cat who appeared to know who she was and what she wanted. Her smooth pelage looked as flawless as a dark sky, powerful muscles rippling underneath. Deep yellow eyes slowly blinked open upon their arrival.

"Hello Smokekit. How have you and your brothers been?," a rich voice flowed off the she-cat's tongue. Adderkit's guide stopped a respectful distance of the bigger cat, dipping her head. "We have all been fine, thanks for asking. I'm just showing Adderkit around, as it's her first day out."

The yellow eyes focused on her now. She struggled not to squirm at the authority this cat seemed to have. Dipping her head like Smokekit had done, she decided not to make eye contact. She wasn't sure she could hold it.

"Greetings Adderkit," the black feline meowed. "I'm Ravenstar."

Smokekit had lead her to the leader immediately! This was a pleasant surprise, if not a little unexpected for the young kit.

"Hi," she managed to squeak. What a great way to leave an impression.

Ravenstar flicked her whiskers in amusement, laying her head on her paws. "You have a lot of Camp to cover in one sun. Better go to the first den."

"Right!," Smokekit agreed as she scurried off, darting underneath several legs. Adderkit yowled in alarm, trying to keep up with her guide. She was not as agile though, crashing with several paws and earning a snarl from a particularly moody ginger and brown she-cat. After several apologies and a returned snarl later, the dark-grey kit found her guide. Panting, she barely heard the explanation of the particular den before they were walking away again. This time, Smokekit seemed more careful on her walking and allowed Adderkit to remain close. They were headed for the beginning of a path on the opposite cliff when Adderkit realized where they were going. "Stop!," she yelled, surprising Smokekit. "Can't we leave cliff-climbing for later? Like, when we join StarClan?"

The blue-eyed kit blinked once. Twice.

"You mean," she said carefully. "You are scared...of heights?"

Adderkit said nothing. Smokekit blinked again and finally let loose a giggle that could have developed into a laughing fit if it wasn't for her jaws actually biting her tongue to keep it still. After a few heartbeats she sighed, a last giggle leaving her jaws. "Fine, fine. Somesun that phobia you have needs to go, though."

"Yeah, sure," Adderkit muttered, rolling her eyes. Smokekit smiled, leading her away from the cliff and towards a group of cats huddled by the fresh-kill pile.

"Those are Yellowpaw, Wolfpaw and Owlpaw," her guide was saying. "I will present them to you later, though. They are taking a break from their training to begin night-hunting."

"Night-hunting?," Adderkit asked in surprise. She knew that the Clan's territory had a great variety of prey but nocturnal? That was new.

"Yes, night-hunting. I hear we have bats and lizards that come out at night. Never seen one. Anyway, the other Apprentices are Frozenpaw (cold, uptight, logical but a good cat), Finchpaw (stupid. Just plain stupid), Whisperpaw (good cat but too dramatic. They say she has a crush on Wolfpaw) and Nightpaw (get away from her. Don't even try talking, worst of all approaching her. Just don't)."

Adderkit nodded, trying to memorize the Apprentices. She caught movement in the edge of her sight and turned to see a dark golden she-kit bigger than Smokekit staring into a small pool of water. She seemed focused on the reflection.

"Who's that?"

Smokekit's ears perked. "Oh, that's Firekit. She can be a little rough around the edges but you'll like her. Hey Firekit! Firekit! Come play with us!"

Icy blue eyes glanced over in their direction. The golden kit stood from her place, padding up to them with her tail held high. She gave off an air of arrogance and indifference that didn't convince Adderkit of the idea of "liking" the she-kit.

"Come meet Addedkit. She's Emberpath's kit."

Firekit smirked, puffing out her chest. "Oh, I know that. So, what are we playing?"

Smokekit smirked, crouching down. "Hunt the mouse."

"Very good. Hunt the-wait, what?!," Firekit squealed as Smokekit bowled her over, bitting her ears playfully. Adderkit hesitated for a heartbeat. Should she? Maybe it was not a good idea. What if the bigger kit rolled over and crushed her? What would her mother do if she got crushed by a clanmate?

The playful growl that Firekit made was the encouragement Adderkit needed. She pounced on the dark golden cat's shoulders, helping Smokekit in bringing down their mouse.

That was to be the start of a wonderful friendship.


	17. Jealous

_Thank you all for your kind reviews! I really appreciate it guys! _

* * *

During the following suns, Smokekit made sure to spend as much time as possible with Adderkit. She eventually coaxed her into climbing the higher paths, only to be chased down by a particularly enraged Redstrike after Adderkit's tail knocked off a pile of herbs. She had presented both of her brothers and discovered that the younger kit got along well with Snowkit. Firekit would sometimes join them in their daily excursions, but she spend most of her time being a guide herself for Adderkit's brother, Rock-kit. The Queens were proud of the "exemplary maturity both she-kits showed" but Smokekit just dismissed it as being friendly. The suns had been particularly pleasant with the company of young Adderkit and her amusing view of the world,yet Smokekit couldn't shake off the feeling that she had forgotten something. Something very important...

"So, what are we doing today?," Adderkit asked, head rolling to watch Smokekit in the eye. They laid sprawled by the fresh-kill pile, paws facing the sky as they enjoyed the warmth of the recently-rising sun. They had gotten out quietly to be the first ones in the clearing...

"Yeah, what are we doing?," Robinkit yawned lazily, stretching his limbs.

...but not quiet enough as not to wake up both of Smokekit's brothers. Personally, she didn't find it a bother. It was rather an advantage to have their company.

"Well," she started. "We have a whole sun before Frozenpaw returns from training so she can teach us that hunting crouch, so we can go visit the Elders, invent some game or go exploring some of the superficial tunnels near the cliff's walls. We have a lThot of time to decide, too."

Snowkit blinked open his green eyes, lazily rolling to his left to cuddle his brother. "Well, we can always visit the Elders later. It's not like they are going anywhere."

"True," Adderkit muttered.

"So, to the tunnels?," Robinkit meowed hopefully, quickly nuzzling his brother back after checking no-one else was nearby.

"To the tunnels," Smokekit confirmed, rolling to her paws. She stretched luxuriously, digging her claws into the ground. She started heading to their destination, hearing the scuffle of paws following her. The tunnels were noway near as dangerous and intriguing as the Deep Caves in their territory, but they were extensive enough to be interesting to a kit while being a safe place to play. The intricate twists and turns made it look larger than it was, but a Queen could easily find her kit if she so desired.

Darkness engulfed Smokekit as soon as she slipped inside the main tunnel, her whisker extended the fullest to guide her. Her paws found their way around the corners by instinct, one of the many traits of pure-bloodied EchoClan cats. She could hear laughter nearby, no doubt Snowkit bumping into a wall by accident. She took one of the side-tunnels, one that started heading downwards and not sideways. The walls had a wider space between them, as her whiskers could barely brush past them. She took a confident step forwards...

...and crashed into a newly-appeared wall of fur. She yowled in surprise, rolling downwards along with the fur-wall. They both eventually stopped, laughing heartily.

"Watch were you are going, Adderkit!," Smokekit giggled, pushing past her friend to follow a new tunnel.

"Yeah? Well, you are the one whisker-blind!"

Still chuckling, Smokekit kept walking, hearing the familiar yowl of Robinkit as he too tripped over Adderkit. This new tunnel angled upwards, and soon the path was illuminated to the of distinguishing general outlines. Smokekit kept walking on, knowing that she would need to find a new tunnel on the surface to catch up with her friends. When she finally surfaced she was greeted by a beautiful clear sky, blue and untamed, and familiar amber eyes glaring at her coldly.

"Dustkit! Hi?," Smokekit said in confusion as the tom's glare intensified. She was not sure as to what she had done to earn his rage, and she wasn't really expecting to see him so suddenly.

"_Hi?,_' he mimicked, spitting out the word as if it burned his tongue. "We haven't talked in a moon and the first thing you say is _hi_?"

Smokekit flinched internally, remembering what it was that she had forgotten. Still, she wouldn't appear weak in front of him. That never worked.

"Well, I have been busy," she clarified, walking fully out of the tunnel. He bristled even more, pupils narrowing into slits. "So busy as to not approaching your best friend? Oh, I wonder why that is!"

"Hey Smokekit! We thought that-"

The two of them snapped their attentions towards the main tunnel, where Adderkit and Robinkit stood frozen. Snowkit pushed his way through but froze too, unsure as to how to handle the situation. Dustkit scowled, turning his attention back to Smokekit. "Oh, I know. You went to find another best friend. Apparently I wasn't enough for you, right? You went to find the first fleabag you could find to replace me."

"Wait a second Dustkit, you are seeing this the wrong way. I never-"

"Shut your jaws, _Foxface_! I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses of an argument!"

Smokekit snarled, fur bristling in fury. "Well, guess what _Coldheart_? You are being an arrogant idiot who can't wait until he has all the variables to make a conclusion. I'm not the one wrong here!"

"Yeah, right. As if you could even understand what a variable is, mouse-brain!"

"Screechy Pigeon!"

"Fluffbrain!"

"Rat-breath!"

"Old fox!"

Smokekit reeled back, staring at the older kit in horror. "You don't mean it."

"I mean every single word that leaves my tongue!," Dustkit hissed in disdain. "Now go back to your dog-smelling best friend, I'm sure you want to spend time with her before changing her too. Don't you ever dare to talk to me again."

Smokekit watched as her supposed best friend trotted away, feeling as if a Dark Forest warrior had just shatter her spirit in a thousand pieces.

* * *

_**To avoid confusion:** in EchoClan, "old fox" is an insult so great that it has been the base of previous conflicts between Clans. It's a word so full of hate that if anyone ever calls you that, you might as well declare them an enemy._


	18. Aftermath

Suns went and came, and the start of Leaf-fall found Smokekit curled up in her vacant nest. She was already awake, had been awake before sunrise, but yet she refused to open her eyes knowing that Dustkit was still ignoring her. It hurt like the kit had never imagined.

Thinking about it, it was her fault, really. Maybe if she hadn't been so caught up in showing Adderkit the Camp she would have remembered to spend time with Dustkit too. She had been uncaring, he had the right to be outraged.

But he really crossed the line with the last insult, though. It was not a light thing to be called an old fox. Everyone knew it. Ravenstar knew it. For StarClan's sake, even Firekit knew it! Dustkit should be the one to apologize for that.

"But I shouldn't have called him all those things either," Smokekit mused, rolling around to face the entrance. "That makes it my fault too." And yet, she couldn't bring herself to look for the tom and apologize. He would just shrug her off again and spit another name at her. It was a wonder why Flaredash still welcomed her presence.

"Your brothers are worried about you," a familiar soft voice reached her ears. "They say you won't go out to play with them." Smokekit hummed, not answering Tigerblaze's statement. She didn't meet her mother's eyes even when she sat down next to her and passed her rough tongue over her neck. Smokekit huffed at the contact.

"It's Dustkit, right?," Smokekit flinched, claws shredding the moss underneath. "You two had a disagreement?"

"You could call it that," the she-kit muttered. Tigerblaze's tongue continue to tame the rebellious fur at the back of her neck. "But I'm not sure who has to apologize."

"Well," Tigerblaze purred, apparently satisfied with her work. "You know what's the greatest thing of friendships? You may go for each other's throats, but there's always forgiveness for anything you might do. I know it hurts when a friend fights with us, but that's a prove that you really value them. You wouldn't hurt for a stranger."

The dark-grey Queen stood, nudging her daughter out of the nest. "Try to ask for his forgiveness. If he truly values you he will forgive and forget. If he doesn't wants to hear you, you will have your conscience clean. You were the one to reach out to him. In time he will realize what he's doing and reach out to you too."

Smokekit nodded, deep in thought. She followed her mother outside, careful of not scratching herself with the thorns. As soon as she passed the barrier, she found herself tackled by dark-grey and dusty-brown bundles of fur. The siblings laughed and squealed, rolling around in a mess of black spots.


	19. Roleplaying

The great and powerful Adderstar crouched low to the ground, white-stripped tail leveled with her body. Her prey was a mighty one, a fighter. Hunting it down would bring her honor and respect. She knew that going for the kill too soon could cost her dearly. Elder's stories came back into her mind about strong Warriors that had ran back furless after trying to hunt down this prey. She would not met their fate.

Muscles buckling under her pelt, she checked her balance once more as she slipped like her namesake through the tall grass. It was not an ideal place for hunting this animal down, yet she had no choice. Her Clan was going hungry.

The prey remanded unperturbed, ears flat against its skull. Adderstar knew by experience how deceiving it could be, so she watched closely the creature's paws, where a set of eight, razor-sharp claws could flash out at any moment. The being yawned, a bifurcated tongue passing over its black-as-night teeth.

And did she mention that it could also breath **_fire_**?

Well, it could breath fire. It was highly unusual for prey to do so, but this monster could do it. And it also had two minions that did everything for it. They weren't nearby but they could return at any moment.

Adderstar the Great narrowed her eyes as she came to attacking distance. The monster had yet to notice her, but she knew that it wouldn't be easy to take out. With a powerful leap and a caterwaul, the grey she-cat landed on the beast, white fangs gleaming in the sunset.

"Adderkit! Let go of my ear!," Smokekit snarled. She twisted around, kicking the smaller she-kit away. Adderkit, not one to be rejected, pounced again, chewing on her friend's ear with all her might. Something that, honestly, wasn't much considering her teeth were still emerging.

Smokekit growled, weakly bitting Adderkit back. It wasn't a painful bite (she would never hurt the younger kit) but Adderkit stopped her attack nonetheless. She arched her back, bouncing on her paws from side to side. When she realized that Smokekit made no move to answer her challenge, she swiped a paw in her direction, trying to get her attention.

"Stop it, Adderkit," the smoky-grey kit meowed simply when her companion once again stated bouncing. She sighed, dropping her head over her paws. "I'm not in the mood to play."

Smokekit heard paws scuffling before she saw a pair of amber eyes pop out near her range of vision. "Really? Why?"

"I'm thinking."

"About what?"

A black and ginger-patched kit strolled past them, ignoring their presence completely. He crossed the Camp quickly and took one of the paths in the opposite cliff, specifically the one that would lead him to the top. Smokekit's whiskers twitched, but she made no other reaction.

Realization dawned on Adderkit. "Oh, you are _thinking_."

"Indeed."

"Why haven't you both just ignored everything?," Adderkit asked curiously. Smokekit sighed again, playing with her paws. "It's not that simple, you know? I don't know what to say."

"Just tell him you love him," Adderkit purred, getting out of Smokekit's range in case she decided to cuff her ears. The cold glare was not what she expected, but it was better than scratched ears. "I do not love him," Smokekit snorted. "Go play matchmaker with Firekit."

"Fine, fine. If you are going to stay here doing nothing, then I'll take matters in my own paws!"

Said this, Adderkit darted to follow Dustkit, ignoring Smokekit's protests.

Fearing that the small she-kit would worsen the situation, Smokekit rushed to follow, panic clouding her mind.


	20. Musketeer

Gentle wind ruffled his fur, caresses of nature. The ground underneath was soft and silky, so different from the dry one at the bottom of the cliffs. He supposed it had to do with the influence of the wind on the ground. How had his father called it? Erosion?

Erosion it is, then.

He unsheathed his long, curved claws, watching them sink slightly. He supposed he could always ask his aunt if he could get help to move fractions of this ground to the Nursery. Maybe then they could sleep more peacefully.

Or they could move this to Evergreen Valley to cushion the apprentice's fall when they trained. Frozenpaw always mentioned how sore she ended up after the tree-battling stage.

A pair of paws slammed against his side, making him lose his breath. He rolled over, batting and hissing at his attacker. Warm yellow eyes stared at his amber orbs with a friendly glint. Growling in annoyance, Dustkit pushed Adderkit off of him.

"Is something the matter, kit?," Dustkit spat, shaking off the silky ground from his pelt. Maybe using this on the Nursery wasn't the best idea...

"Hey, don't be rude," the furball sniffed. She held herself high and glared at him. "I need to talk something serious with you!"

The black tom held back a laugh. "It's difficult to take you serious when you barely reach my shoulders."

Adderkit snarled, leaping at him with claws unsheathed. Dustkit merely sidestepped, starting to walk down the path back to Camp.

"Hey! Come back!"

A weight tackled him, sending them both rolling in the bank of soft ground. The tom flailed underneath the mass of fur, twisting and turning like a dying snake. Adderkit chomped on one of his ears, earning a cry from the much older tom.

Letting go of the ear, Adderkit rounded on Dustkit and loomed over the kit. "Now you listen to me. I never really liked you nor do I care what you do with your life but when it affects one of my friends, I am forced to take interest. You can't just go and spit insults into Smokekit's face like it doesn't matter! You jerk, did your mother never taught you anything? You destroyed her! She's been sulking in a corner for suns and you just give her the cold shoulder! You piece of idiot just broke her heart and, if you don't want me to brake your tail too, you'll go right now and apologize!"

Dustkit flinched, crouching low to the ground. He never expected Adderkit of all cats to yell at him like that.

"I'm afraid to ask."

The tom's attention snapped to the newest addition to their fight. Of course it had to be her at that precise moment. Smokekit stood frozen, unsure as if she should step between the two kits. And great StarClan, was Adderkit intimidating Dustkit?

The grey she-cat's face broke into a smile. "Hey Smokekit! Dustkit wanted to tell you something!"

Dustkit gulped when the deep blue eyes impaled his own. The tom rolled to his paws, shaking off the dust from his pelt. There was no point on dragging all of that longer than expected, so he bit back his pride and stared at the ground.

"I'm sorry for those nasty things I said to you," he murmured, amber eyes dull. "It's just that...I saw how much time you were spending with Adderkit and I got worried that you'll forget about me."

The tom feared tearing his eyes away from his paws. Everyone thought he was emotionless ("Frozen crowfood!", he could hear them sneering yet again) but if they only knew...

"I forgive you," Dustkit raised his head in a flash, eyes wide. Was it real? Did he just imagine that like so many things before?

"I forgive you, Dustkit," Smokekit said in an small voice. Her blue eyes were clouded with an emotion the tom couldn't quite comprehend. He never took his friend for the overly emotional type, but he guessed this occasion was an exception. "But please don't you ever dare to shatter this friendship again. I don't believe I can handle losing a friend like that ever again."

"Of course he won't do that!," Adderkit pipped up. "No claws, no poison, but always forgiveness!"

"That makes no sense at all," Dustkit muttered, eyes narrowing. He really did detest that kit. She was too emotional and unstable for his taste.

"But it's funny," Smokekit giggled, friendly pawing him on the shoulder. Adderkit would always be annoying, irrational and stupid to him, but for Smokekit's sake he would tolerate her...

"Hey, did you guys see how Frostpaw was looking at Hailwhisker the other sun?"

...or at least try to.


	21. Toms

"It's because they are toms," she explained, her fluffy chest puffed out in pride. She held herself highly, as if she had just revealed one of the most complicated secrets of the Clans.

Smokekit tilted her head, not at all convinced by her friend's explanation. Yes, Adderkit had her way of knowing what happened in the Clan, but she was young and impressionable. Nightpaw could have convinced her of the justification, or even an annoyed Redstrike could have snapped something incoherent to her just to shut her up. There was no way that she could know the reason behind Robinkit and Snowkit's actions. "And how do you know that?"

"Well," the yellow-eyed kit started, lowering her voice to a whisper. "Emberpath says all toms are mouse-brained, so I figured that they must have really small brains."

Smokekit chocked, trying with all her willpower not to laugh. Adderkit, knowing that her friend didn't believe it, snorted and padded away with her tail held high. "Well, there's no other reason why they would challenge each other to see how much moss they could eat before throwing up!"


	22. Waiting

The wind howls through the cliffs with a visciousnes brang by the terror that reigns supreme. The sky encourages the cry of war with a mantle of red that swirls like the ocean. The sun is yet to peek on the horizon, but its shy rays already streak the blood-colored clouds.

The forest is eeriely silent this dawn, the inhabitants sharing an knowing silence of forebonding. Phantom echoes of steps shatter the silence, but they disappear as soon as they come. Everything holds its breath in the mental countdown.

Inside a darkened cave, a pair of blue orbs stand suspended in a watch. They remain cold and impassive to the outside world, but the story is so different for the ones that know what to look for. She's worried, but then so is everyone that remanded behind.

A second pair of orbs join the first one in their watch. Bright amber flash in the shaded dawn, taking a glint of reflected red. They to look impassive, but the muted shuffling sound tell of nervous paws. No matter the spiked nerves with the waiting. He will just take comfort in the company.

A piercing shriek rises in the distance. It creates a domino effect through the once silent environment. The wind howls again and with him comes the pulses of battle. The forest is invades in a tidal wave of small scuttles and squeaks and cries and flutters as the smaller animals scramble to safety. The cliffs seem to stretch towards the song of battle, asymetrical stones bathed in the red dawn. Inside their protected cave the two kits flinch, seeking comfort in one another. There's a disadvantage on being the firsts to be awake, but at least they are not alone.

"Do you think it will be over soon?," he whispers against her ear, sharing whatever warmth he can. Blue eyes glance up to him and she's marvelled once again as to how quickly he's growing. "We can hope it will."

Dustkit curls even closer to her and she suddenly remembers. Flaredash was called this time. His mother is out there facing a battle-ready RaggedClan warrior. His mother, a kind she-cat. His mother, who plays with the kits whenever she can. His mother, the queen. His mother, who refused to stay fit and train with the apprentices in favour of fussing over her only son. His mother, who may be now laying at death's door in the battlefield.

Smokekit trembles at the last thought. She tries to chase it out of her mind but she knows it will come back to bite her tail again. Is it natural? For kits to be so close to death? To accept it as a reality in life? Shouldn't they keep their innocence longer?

"She'll come back," that's the only thing she can say. _But please, don't ask it. Don't ask. Please Dustkit, don't ask what I know is crossing your mind._

"Can you promise it?"

A pause.

"No."

He curls even closer. "She's not coming back."

Smokekit frowns at his tone. There's just something wrong about the lack of emotion in that sentence. "You can't possibly know that."

"She's not coming back," Dustkit insists, burying his face in her fur. She can feel the slight tremble of his clenched jaws against her skin. He's already mourning.

"How long?," a third paid of orbs join them. This are deep green in color. The speaker's outline is barely seen for he is deeper inside the cave, but his white chin glows pink in the reddish darkness. Smokekit turns her head to look at her brother. "Just a couple of heartbeats. I'm surprised the screech didn't wake you up."

Snowkit chuckles, but it's an empty sound. He moves to press against his sister where she's not covered by black and ginger tomkit. "Red dawns are never good."

"Do you think it's an omen?," Dustkit mumbles through the smoky fur. Snowkit's kit fluff bristles in unease. "Perhaps."

"Don't start with that," Smokekit growls quietly. She rests her head on her brother's shoulders. "It will only make you all more anxious. And we don't really need all of the nursery waking up if any of you start to cry."

"We are not that young anymore, Smokekit," Snowkit huffs. It sounds strange coming from the carefree tom. Dustkit just hums in agreement.

Smokekit frowns once again. "We _should_ be that young."

They all remain in silent watch for the rest of the sunrise


	23. Death

The three kits dash down the zigzaging path to the cliff's bottom. The warcries had stopped without warning, and that could only mean one thing. Ravenstar was bringing back the patrols.

Their thick pads went unbothered by the sharp pebbles underneath. It was a common trait shared by the EchoClan cats after generations upon generations of cliff climbing. Smokekit was eternally grateful of this adaptation and was sure to thank her ancestors whenever she could. _But Adderkit and Sharpkit seem not to have the thick pads. I wonder what that means._

A sentry yowled a signal deep in the forest, and the rest of the sentries at the entrance paused for a heartbeat before repeating the signal. The small group of warriors left behind came out of their den at the base of the cliff, eyes weary and heavy with sleep. They started a quiet chatter with each other, but the anticipation was evident on them. Dread was quick to mark the warriors. Would their mates come back? Would their friends be unwounded? Would their families still be complete?

Nightpaw and Frozenpaw poked their heads out of the apprentices' den, soon followed by Wolfpaw. They were the only ones not to be called to the battle and they were eager to hear what their denmates brang back from the battlefield.

The elders and the remanding nursery inhabitants were the only ones not to come out of their dens. They had more important things to take care of before welcoming their battle-worn clanmates.

Smokekit was the first to reach the bottom. The sun cast long shadows on the cliffs. The sky was still red-tinted, but it was starting to fade away as the star continued to climb.

The she-kit saw as a tall, ginger cat burst through the entrance. He was limping heavily from a deep laceration over his hindquarters, but the scowl that marked his expression stopped anyone from actually talking to the tom. He quickly followed the path up to the medicine cat's den and slipped trough the barrier.

Snowkit and Dustkit reached Smokekit as the tom disappeared, their eyes wide and expectant. The three kits heard as the entrance rustled and tensed along the rest of their clanmates. A regal black cat was the first to step forwards. Her usually glossy and groomed pelt was sticking out in all directions or missing alltogether in patches. Her yellow eyes were dark and haunted, so different from what they were when the kits had stumbled in her den. Ravenstar regarded her Clan solemnly even as red dropplets slid down her chest and stained the ground in a mirror of what the sky was earlier that sun.

The second to come was a tall white tom that could barely hide a grimance. He held his right front paw gingerly to his chest as it leaked a steady stream of crimson. He was as battered as his leader, but his eyes still blazed with the song of the battle. The deputy limped up to the group of warriors and started giving out instructions, sending them all in various directions. The camp started to fill with movement as the first battle patrol came through the entrance, all of them covered in fresh wounds or missing fur. Some of them fainted right then and there and had to be dragged towards the recovery dens. Pained moans and whimpers accompanied the patrol as they all settled into a recovery den or curled outside one of them when they could hold no more cats.

Smokekit snapped out of her daze as Snowkit gasped behind her. She noted that Dustkit was no longer pressed against her side, which struck her as odd. The smoky kit whirled around and followed Snowkit's gaze. Her brother looked back at her, not knowing what to do.

Well, now she knew where Dustkit was.

There's a difference between knowing what death is and confronting it face to face, Smokekit thought. She just couldn't shake off the feeling that they were much too young to face it so soon.


End file.
